Owl Tor  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  7,362. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  andy patterson, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  steve edwards on Jun 17, 2004 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

The pristine beauty that is the Tor.

Description 

The sportsman's paradise of the central coast. Steep burly routes of a manufactured nature on a fairly blank but very overhanging wall. The most purely physical climbing on the West Coast, Owl Tor has about a dozen route from 5.12 to 5.15. There is an 11d warm-up, but everyone calls it a sandbag.

Weather? The area around Santa Maria is subject to some extremes—freezing to sweltering—but the Tor is almost always climbable, even in 100+ degree heat. In heavy rain years, however, seepage eventually makes its way down the face of the crag, sliming pockets and jugs and creating a generally swampy environment. Still, you can often climb in a full-on downpour and have the smug satisfaction that you are probably the only person on the Central Coast climbing outside on dry rock.

Getting There 

From Santa Barbara, take the 101 North to Santa Maria, then exit the 166 and drive East. After about thirty minutes or so, take a left off of hwy 166 at Rock Front Ranch. Drive through a gate (usually open, unless it has rained a bunch) and go for about a quarter of a mile till the road suddenly shoots steeply up a hill. Park on the left. A small trail on the left will deposit you at the base of the crag after about 3 minutes.

The Classics

Featured Route For Owl Tor

Auto Magic 5.12a  CA : Central Coast : ... : Owl Tor

Steep (per the Tor), pocketed (per the Tor), physical (per...) climbing to a burly crossover finish on strenuous finger pockets. Tons of fun. There's a trick kneebar halfway up, but try not to let any of the locals catch you using it (heh, heh). The climb starts on some long moves off of imbedded cobblestones, pulls a small roof, then travels past some bigs holds that are far apart. If you aren't pumped, charge the last sequence of finger pockets and fire for a hidden jug just past the chains....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

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Someone said I look like Warren Harding in this ph...	Much time is spent moving rocks. What? You don't d...	Owl Tor Baby Rattler
Owl Tor Tarantula	Crux of Hell	Me on the Chips Ahoy-Better Than Life linkup, 5.13...